#158 HTE - Hold on to Your TikToks, E-commerce Takeover is Coming to 12 New Countries!

Happy Saturday, friends! Let's make this weekend one for the books! Time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the little things. 🎊

Whether it's a lazy morning in bed or a wild night out, make today count. Cheers to a successful and fun-filled day ahead. ☄️

Welcome to the HTE newsletter party! We're here to dish out some hot tips and tricks for DTC brands and more. 🤘🏻

Get ready to have some fun and learn a thing or two. Let's dive in: 🏊‍♀️

📈 McDonald's To Flip Into Metaverse, Republicans Want To Add Some Spice To Crypto Industry

📲 How To Advertise On Instagram

🥇 Brand Of The Week -Brilliant Earth 

🛒 Shop Like a Boss with Sleek: The Ultimate Credit Card Supercharger

🌎 TikTok Takes Over the World: E-Commerce Expansion on the Rise

👩🏻‍💼 3 Hot Spots Marketers Should Keep Eye On In 2023 To Make Their Business Boom 

🎁 Brand Deals Of The Week

📕 Top Reads Of The Week

⚙️ Plenty Of Jobs Await You!

Alright folks, don't scroll too fast. Make sure to save the best for last and head straight to the bottom of this newsletter for some exciting surprises yet to come your way.

McDonald's To Flip Into Metaverse, Republicans Want To Add Some Spice To Crypto Industry

McDonald's and digital genius Karen X Cheng join forces for a scrumptious Lunar New Year ad! Using a mix of AI and AR magic, the ad takes viewers on a nostalgic journey through Cheng's childhood memories and invites them to join in on the festivities with a QR code call-to-action.

NeRF technology is employed in advertising to make the Lunar New Year celebration more accessible to everyone in a tech-forward way.

Get ready to be transported to a virtual reality zoo, cook up a storm in a virtual cooking competition, or play classic Chinese games like Weiqi and Mahjong.

Plus, with the help of a customizable 3D avatar, you can travel the globe and send messages and photos to friends using the in-app messaging feature. So, come and celebrate the Lunar New Year with McDonald's and give back to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in style!

How To Advertise On Instagram

Are you looking to advertise your business on the platform with the most epic food pics and stylish #ootds? Well, you're in luck because Instagram is the place to be for all things visual marketing. 

With over 1 billion monthly active users, it's the ultimate spot to connect with your audience and showcase your products or services. So go ahead, snap those drool-worthy food shots and trendy fashion pics and get ready to grow your business like never before on Instagram. 

Are you ready to create some killer ad campaigns and dominate the platform? Great! But before you get started, make sure you've got these five things covered:

• The platform is perfect for showcasing visually appealing products that are sure to catch your audience's eye. On the other hand, if you're just trying to raise brand awareness, you might want to try a different approach – Instagram isn't always the best fit for those types of campaigns. But hey, if you've got a killer brand or product that's just begging to be shown off, Instagram is the place to do it. 

• Are you ready to make some serious visual impact? Well, you better make sure you've got some seriously stunning content to share before you dive into the world of Instagram advertising. High-quality visuals are absolutely key to the success of your ad, so make sure you've got some eye-catching stuff to show off. Trust us, it'll be worth it. 

• To run ads on the platform, you'll need to set up a Facebook business page. It's a small price to pay for the chance to showcase your products or services to over 1 billion monthly active users, right? Don't worry, it's a quick and easy process – and hey, you'll have a shiny new Facebook page to add to your marketing arsenal. 

• So you've created an epic ad and you're ready to drive all that traffic to your website, right? Make sure you've got a landing page ready to go (or make sure your homepage is optimized for conversions) because you want to make the most of that shiny call to action button. Trust us, having a dedicated landing page (or a super optimized homepage) will make all the difference in converting those ad clicks into actual sales or leads. 

• Before you dive into the world of Instagram ads, you might want to consider setting up a personal account and checking out the platform for yourself. It'll help you get a feel for the vibe and understand how the platform works. Plus, it never hurts to have a little insider knowledge before you start pouring money into your ad campaigns. Of course, you can still run ads on Instagram without an account, but it never hurts to get a feel for the place before you start investing in it. Happy Instagramming.

Brand Of The Week - Brilliant Earth 

Hey there! So, the founders of Brilliant Earth were all about shaking up the jewelry industry and making it a better place. They wanted to bring more transparency and sustainability to the table, and they also wanted to make sure that everyone could feel included and valued. 

And let's be real, who doesn't love a little compassion mixed in with their bling? All in all, they just wanted to make the world a brighter and sparklier place, one piece of jewelry at a time.

Brilliant Earth was created in 2005 with lofty aspirations of modernizing and transforming the jewelry industry, as well as a daring aim of making the industry more transparent, sustainable, compassionate, and inclusive.

They are thrilled to announce our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Goals, which are in line with the four pillars of their Mission: Transparent, Sustainable, Compassionate, and Inclusive. This is part of the global drive to create a more sustainable world by 2030.

Shop Like a Boss with Sleek: The Ultimate Credit Card Supercharger!

Are you tired of sluggish checkouts and missing out on cashback when you shop online? Say hello to Sleek, the ultimate credit card supercharger! With Sleek's browser extension, you'll get lightning-fast checkouts and an extra 2% cashback on every purchase.

Sick of guest checkout? Sleek Pay has got you covered. Say goodbye to typing in your shipping address, billing information, and credit card details. Sleek does it all for you, every time you shop, making your online shopping experience seamless and effortless.

Don't worry about remembering your CVV, Sleek has got your back. Your information is safely encrypted on your local device, accessible only by you. It's easier, safer, and more rewarding to shop online with Sleek.

Upgrade your credit card game and try Sleek today. You'll never go back to the old way of shopping again.

TikTok Takes Over the World: E-Commerce Expansion on the Rise

Woo hoo, TikTok is expanding its small store global expansion into 12 new countries, including Brazil, Australia, Italy, France, Spain and New Zealand! This means that TikTok's e-commerce engine will be taking over the world, and we couldn't be more excited. With more than 30,000 influencers and 60,000 stores, TikTok has already earned a total of $208 billion in 2022, rising 76 percent from the previous year.

But wait, there's more! TikTok's international cross-border business grew 136 percent last year, and it's setting a new GMV goal of $23 billion for 2023. So, what does this all mean for us? Well, it means that we'll be able to connect with even more younger consumers in a fresh, fast and engaging way. Plus, brands will have the opportunity to take over TikTok's sales ecosystem in 12 more economies.

But, before you start dancing and singing TikTok's praises, remember that there's always some contention.

Especially in the US, where concerns over mysterious algorithms and the relationship of the parent company with the Chinese government have led to bans by some American organizations due to national security risks.

But, don't let that dampen your spirits, TikTok amassed 1 billion users in just five years, a faster rate than Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and it's growing e-commerce arm is likely to continue capturing the attention of Gen Z and beyond. So, get ready to watch your favorite TikTok influencers promoting their wares and have fun shopping.

3 Hot Spots Marketers Should Keep Eye On In 2023 To Make Their Business Boom 

As we step into 2023, we're still facing some familiar challenges from last year like slowing ad spending, inflation and a potential "retailpocalypse". But don't worry, there's always a silver lining! Here are three growth areas that marketers should keep an eye on in 2023 to make their business shine:

1. Mobile app install advertising spend is on the rise - US mobile app install advertising spend increased nearly 25% last year and will increase another 15.5% this year. This is great news for Apple, Google, and Meta who are competing for mobile app ad spend.

2. Video content boosts time spent on social media - This year, we expect US social network users to spend an average of 1 hour and 46 minutes across all the platforms they use. This growth is driven by an increase in users across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and TikTok. Increased video content is also boosting time spent on platforms like Pinterest.

3. Click-and-collect ecommerce grocery sales outpace total ecommerce growth - In 2023, we forecast that total US grocery click-and-collect ecommerce sales will grow 15.1% to reach $56.48 billion, outpacing total retail ecommerce sales growth of 10.5%. This upward trend is being driven by in-store pickup (rather than curbside pickup). So, put on your thinking caps and gear up to make the most of these growth areas in 2023.

📕 Top Reads Of The Week

Wayfair lays off nearly 2K employees

GameStop lays off employees, plans to close Kentucky distribution center

Bed Bath & Beyond receives Nasdaq warning over late 10-Q

Off-price Rack drags down Nordstrom’s holiday performance

Saks.com expected to lay off 100, half in tech

⚙️ Plenty Of Jobs Await You!

E-Commerce Manager - Guardiar

E-Commerce Product Manager - Sportsman's Manager

E-Commerce Sales Intern - Helen of Troy

Head of E-Commerce - Harnham

E-Commerce Shopper - Jewel Osco

CHOOSE SUCCESS below and have a great weekend! Get that D2C business runnin’.